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00:00It's stressful, especially in the kitchen.
00:02Oh, got a bit of cinnamon in my eyes.
00:04Oh, but Joe, it doesn't have to be.
00:06Go!
00:07With good preparation and planning.
00:09Another recipe ticked off.
00:11I'm going to show you how you can spend just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
00:1630 minutes? No way.
00:18It's a batch cook programme, that's what I do.
00:21Not only that, we have a wealth of tricks and hacks.
00:24This is controversial, I don't peel my roast potatoes.
00:27To reduce stress over the festive period.
00:30Amazing.
00:32So this year, say goodbye to seasonal stress and hello to family fun.
00:38If you can't beat it, batch it.
00:41Merry Christmas, everyone.
00:43Merry Christmas.
00:48We're in Lancashire, hoping to offer up some Christmas miracles.
00:53Chill.
00:54Hello, Suzanne.
00:54Hello, yeah.
00:56Look at all these trees.
00:57Taking that smell.
00:58You know me.
00:59I am a Christmas fanatic and every year I like to find myself the biggest tree I can find.
01:03Have you just brought me here to buy a tree?
01:04Yes and no, because around the corner live the Waddington family.
01:08This year, Mum Amy, for the first time, is hosting.
01:11It's a lot of pressure.
01:12But I'm going to show you in the Waddingtons how you can spend just 30 minutes on Christmas
01:17Day in the kitchen, making an amazing feast that even Father Christmas will want to stay for.
01:22That does sound like a Christmas miracle.
01:23Right, you wait there, I'm going to grab myself a tree.
01:25Don't worry, I've spotted the perfect one.
01:27Oh, is it a big one?
01:28It's just the right size for you.
01:30Oh, lovely.
01:31That wasn't quite what I was after, Suzanne.
01:34You do the bottom bit?
01:37No.
01:39Are you going to be this excited when we have to take it down?
01:41No.
01:43Down the road are the Waddington family.
01:46Mum Amy, Dad Dwayne and kids Jackson and Maggie.
01:50Oh, my gosh, it's everywhere.
01:53And like many families, Christmas is their favourite time of the year.
01:56I love Christmas because it is time for everybody to get together, isn't it?
02:01Yeah.
02:02We have, like, all family out there, play games, have fun, our aunties, our uncles, friends.
02:07You're getting excited now.
02:09Yeah.
02:11Amy and Dwayne have never hosted Christmas Day.
02:13That task falls on Amy's mum, who lives just five doors down the road.
02:19We've just piled down to Mum and Dad's house, really, and Mum takes control.
02:25Oh, hello.
02:26We revert back to being teenagers, lounge around, and Mum does all the hard work.
02:36I've always cooked Christmas dinner for 40 years.
02:39They're all having a nice time, and I'm in the kitchen, generally, on my own.
02:44So, yeah, I feel like I miss out a little bit.
02:48Shall we start writing?
02:49Shall we start making a bit of the shopping list?
02:51With the average Christmas dinner cook coming in at over three hours,
02:55that's a lot of time Julie's lost with the family.
02:58I'd love to give my mum the chance to sit down and enjoy spending time with the children.
03:04Wroth potatoes, sprouts.
03:06Yeah.
03:07Carrots.
03:08Yeah.
03:09I think it's probably time we did take over.
03:12I can't believe this is what my mum does every year.
03:14I know.
03:14But how do you go about taking on Christmas when you rarely cook from scratch?
03:19I've probably cooked two Sunday dinners, and even then they were all pre-packaged, frozen.
03:27You hungry?
03:28Yep.
03:29Mm-hmm.
03:29Most of my cooking skills are turning the oven on and putting frozen meals in.
03:34What do you want, Maggie?
03:38It's not just at Christmas where Granny Julie picks up the slack.
03:43Probably at least once a week.
03:45At least once a week we go down.
03:47And then we go up and say, what's for tea?
03:49Granny does a lot for the Waddingtons, but Amy is keen to learn the ropes for hosting Christmas
03:55before it's too late.
03:57In 2022, we lost Dwayne's sister.
04:00She hosted Christmas for her side of the family, and it sort of made me think that one day
04:09my mum might not be here for Christmas, and we would lose that.
04:13That's where I felt that I needed to step in.
04:17Sorry.
04:17It's time now to be a grown-up.
04:22I'm ready to continue that Christmas tradition.
04:25If I don't do it now, when will I ever do it?
04:31It looks like they've called us just in time.
04:33You know what, right?
04:34We're like Santa's little batch cook helpers.
04:37We are.
04:38While the family are out, probably at Granny Julie's.
04:41Oh, nice wreath.
04:43We're going to have a little snoop.
04:44It's shiny and clean. Maybe it's never been used.
04:48Maybe they have, like, servants and cooks.
04:51Chris, myself.
04:52Oh, did you bring me suit?
04:53Did you?
04:55Let's see if the freezer is just as spotless.
04:58Right, my domain.
05:00What have we got?
05:01Oh, the dreaded chicken nuggets.
05:04It's not exactly your healthy batch cooking, is it, Suzanne?
05:08My children's dream freezer.
05:10Yeah, my kids.
05:11I'd live on chicken nuggets and chips if we let them.
05:15Oh, hold up.
05:16There's another freezer here.
05:19Who don't love a waffle?
05:21Come on.
05:23Two freezers full of convenience food explains the underused kitchen.
05:28Oh, what is that?
05:29I was feeling you've had a hard stage.
05:31That's going to be you later, after preparing Christmas dinner.
05:35Don't worry about me, Joe.
05:36I make cooking for Christmas so easy that even the most novice of cooks can deliver a delicious feast,
05:42spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
05:46Hello, you lot.
05:47Nice to see you.
05:48Thank you for letting us into your lovely home.
05:50You're welcome.
05:51And we hear that you guys are big fans of Christmas.
05:54We are.
05:55A hundred percent.
05:56And we hear that you might need my help.
05:58Definitely.
05:59Right.
06:00So, Mum and Dad, we're going to whisk you away and we'll catch up with you two a little bit later on,
06:04if that's all right.
06:04Yeah.
06:05So, I thought it'd be good for us to get a little taste of what your Christmases are like.
06:11So, I've got the old Christmas photo album, Matt.
06:15The obligatory matching PJs I inflict on everybody every year.
06:19Stacey does exactly the same to us every year.
06:22Is that you?
06:23So, that is you and your mum?
06:24Yeah, 30 years ago.
06:26Is that a young Julie?
06:27That's a young Julie.
06:29Cooking Christmas dinner.
06:30Yeah.
06:31My mum has done it for forever.
06:33I'd like to give her a break and let her sit back and enjoy Christmas.
06:37But I have barely even cooked a Sunday roast.
06:41Do you cook?
06:42No, not particularly.
06:43Other meals, really, for the kids or even down to Julie's during the week.
06:48Yeah.
06:48God, don't we?
06:49We all need a Julie in our lives, don't we?
06:52So, how did your Christmas day work?
06:54We wake up, open presents, and then we would head down to my mum's house for breakfast
07:00and then mill around drinking Prosecco or playing games.
07:03Dwayne, Christmas is cushy, you know?
07:05It is, yeah.
07:06This year, not to be horrible, that could be at risk.
07:10I'm actually probably going to have to get up and do something.
07:13You're in very good hands this year.
07:14Do not worry about Christmas dinner.
07:18That's easy for you to say, Joe.
07:20We've analysed Julie's Christmas effort and the figures show us just what a mammoth task we have in store.
07:27Wow.
07:27In total, Julie's spending 23 hours getting Christmas ready and 10 of them hours is just on Christmas day.
07:35I don't think I realised how much behind the scenes she was doing.
07:39And then in terms of the money, the cost is £479.
07:44Wow.
07:45That's a lot of money, isn't it?
07:46And that's just for those three days' worth of Christmas.
07:49A huge £300 of that spend is going on the Christmas Day feast for 11 people.
07:54This is three times the national average.
07:57That is more than you would spend as a family of four for a whole month, isn't it?
08:02Yeah, definitely.
08:03Easily, yeah.
08:04You know, Christmas is round the corner.
08:07Where would you say your stress levels were right now?
08:09In the red.
08:10So we go, ooh, whatever for you.
08:14But the thing is, we're not going to have you spend this amount of money
08:18or spend this amount of time or be in the red for stress,
08:22because we're going to make it all way easier than this for you.
08:26Amazing, yeah. Sounds great.
08:27I'm so glad that you're here.
08:30I feel really guilty knowing that my mum has not only taken
08:35the financial toll of Christmas, but also how many hours she spent
08:39in the kitchen. That's unreal, really.
08:44I didn't want to say it to Amy, but to suddenly do Christmas dinner
08:48for 11 people, I feel like she may have bit off a bit too much.
08:52But if anyone's going to make this possible, it's Suzanne, the batch lady.
08:56So she's in the best possible hands.
08:59You're too kind, Joe.
09:01And over at the Test Kitchen, I've got plenty of hacks up my sleeve
09:05to help any first-timers.
09:07I'm starting with a favourite of mine, the mince pie.
09:11And I'm not alone. 800 million are sold each year.
09:14I've been perfecting this mega mince pie that you can make in advance
09:19to wow the festive hordes.
09:20It's not Christmas in my house until I have my first mince pie.
09:25But not my cup of tea. The name put me off as a kid.
09:28I was expecting meat and there was fruit in there, but I'm going to enjoy making it.
09:33I'm making my own mince meat, which means I can vary the ingredients to my tastes.
09:37Maybe Joe might even like this one.
09:40This is so simple to do. We're just going to put everything in the one pot.
09:44I'm mixing apple, raisins, sultanas and mixed peel with some sugar.
09:48You can use any combination of dried fruit.
09:52Right. Orange.
09:53Ooh. Then zest and juice and orange.
09:57Lastly, we want to add in some brandy.
10:00Little bit for luck.
10:02Whiskey, rum or sherry are all good alternatives.
10:05Or tea if you want it to be alcohol-free.
10:07Oh, now it feels like Christmas.
10:10Heat until the sugar melts and we have our mince meat.
10:14Batch into sterilised jars and it will last unopened for many months.
10:19You can use it to add a Christmas twist to all sorts of baking,
10:22like cookies or crumbles.
10:24Hold up a minute. That's a bit of a big pie, isn't it?
10:27I'm going to make a mega mince pie.
10:29This is so much quicker than messing around with a lot of little ones.
10:33And I'm using pre-made pastry too, all saving you time.
10:37I'm going to fill it with our lovely mince meat.
10:39Okey-dokey. But I've got a job for you.
10:41You always have.
10:42You're going to make the top to the pie.
10:44Instead of pastry, we're adding a crumble topping.
10:48Just flour, butter, brown sugar and some cinnamon.
10:51As is.
10:52Not great, Jo. Not going to lie. Sorry.
10:54Once the crumble is crumbly, you're just going to sprinkle on top.
10:59Easy peasy.
11:00That's going to end the oven and that is it.
11:03Ah, well done.
11:04Oh, got a bit of cinnamon in my eyes.
11:07Baked for 25 to 30 minutes in the oven at 180.
11:12You can get 12 good portions out of this, so having a few of these in the freezer saves
11:17spending on shop-bought boxes.
11:19I don't want to upset you, but even you couldn't make me eat a mince pie.
11:25Look at that.
11:26Maybe we could do something in the edit where I'm like...
11:28Mmm.
11:29Nice.
11:31Well, I can promise you, Jo, it's delicious.
11:35Still to come, we show the Waddington family that perfect prep turns the nightmare of Christmas
11:41into a dream. Go!
11:43And help them batch their way to spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
11:49It's stress-free for all of us.
11:52It's amazing.
12:00This Christmas, we're in Lancashire, helping novice cooks Amy and Duane take the reins from Granny Julie
12:06and host Christmas for the very first time.
12:09My mum's a really, really good cook. There's a high standard for me to follow, taking on Christmas
12:16and making it my own. Amy doesn't need to worry.
12:21Christmas doesn't have to feel scary. Prepping in advance and using some of my clever hacks will
12:27take away the fear. What bits are stressing you most when you think about cooking Christmas dinner?
12:33Probably the time spent in the kitchen. It's time away from watching the kids enjoy themselves.
12:38They can all be made in advance. You're going to only spend 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
12:44It's that simple.
12:46Suzanne's a pro at prepping Christmas and saving time.
12:50But I am the guru when it comes to saving money.
12:54So have you ever been Christmas shopping before?
12:56Other than maybe some crackers last minute.
12:58We're going to get a few more things in a couple of crackers.
13:00Yes.
13:00What we do know is that the average UK family spend about £700 more in the December period.
13:06Granny Julie, in December she went Christmas shopping nine times in one month.
13:12Now that is too many times to go shopping.
13:13We're too many.
13:14Granny Julie is not alone. Over half of us admit to buying too much at Christmas.
13:19But armed with Suzanne's shopping list, that is not going to be the case today.
13:23Let's get it done, shall we?
13:25Let's do it.
13:25Let's go, yeah.
13:27And the advantage of getting the festive shop done early, no crowds.
13:31I don't know how you make your roast potatoes in your house, but in my house, it's all about
13:35the crunch on the outside and the fluffy potato.
13:37Fluffiness on the inside.
13:38You know what we're talking about. You're on the potato level with me.
13:42To achieve maximum fluffiness, we're after a floury potato.
13:46For me, the best roast potato is made from a Maris Piper.
13:51Yes.
13:51Let's get a couple of bags to feed your lot.
13:53Yes.
13:53Lovely.
13:54Let's do it.
13:54Chuck them in.
13:56We need to grab some other veg, and of course it wouldn't be Christmas without sprouts.
14:01Not the biggest fan.
14:01You're not the biggest fan of these?
14:02No.
14:03At Christmas, there are 750 million of these.
14:07That's a lot.
14:08That's a lot of the rats.
14:09That's a hell of a lot.
14:09But do you also know that only half of them get eaten?
14:12The rest of them are chucked in a bin.
14:14I get that.
14:14What a waste, eh?
14:16But they're not like the old ones.
14:17In the old days, they were quite bitter.
14:19They've bred the bitterness out of them now.
14:21They are a great vessel for flavour.
14:23Right.
14:24Let's talk about the star of the show, shall we?
14:26Yep.
14:27Chicken wings.
14:28Chicken wings.
14:29Don't worry, you're still going to get your turkey.
14:32We're talking gravy.
14:33Homemade gravy has a rep for being time consuming and a bit of a faff to make,
14:37alongside your Christmas dinner or your roast.
14:40But it's no bother if you're making it in advance.
14:43Me and Suzanne have got a great gravy recipe using chicken wings.
14:46And you can batch this gravy weeks before Christmas, stick it in the freezer.
14:50Yeah.
14:50That's another job you don't have to worry about.
14:52No.
14:53Let's grab some chicken wings.
14:55What is life about a bit of gravy, eh?
14:58Back at the house, Amy and I are making space for Christmas batching.
15:02I thought we'd start with this cupboard here.
15:05The key to a stress-free Christmas is getting organised before Santa has even dusted off his sleigh.
15:11There's no point in being organised if everybody eats it, OK?
15:15Definitely Christmas cupboard, key path.
15:17Yeah.
15:18Once you've got this space, you can grab bits on your weekly shop in the months before Christmas,
15:23which helps to spread the cost, too.
15:26We can also get the freezer ready well ahead of time.
15:30We need one full freezer drawer for a family of four for Christmas.
15:34That's how it generally works.
15:35You're going to be feeding 11, so we're going to need at least two drawers,
15:39if not a little bit more.
15:40Mm-hm.
15:40You can maximise space by removing cardboard packaging.
15:44I'll get you some freezer bags.
15:46Another tip is to spend a week eating up your freezer food.
15:50This both saves money on that week's shop and creates space for Christmas batching.
15:54And with all that space freed up, there's plenty of room for the main event, the turkey.
16:00At Christmas, do you know there's 10 million turkeys sold?
16:02A lot.
16:03That's a lot of people looking to get themselves a turkey for Christmas.
16:06Yes, yes.
16:07Now, the trick is for me, frozen turkey.
16:11Because not only do you get them nice and early,
16:13because the supermarket's having them weeks before Christmas.
16:16If you get yourself the crown, it's got all the best meat around it.
16:19It cooks evenly, cuts nice, tastes beautiful.
16:23That all sounds good to me.
16:24Christmas game changer, this is.
16:27Winner, winner, turkey dinner.
16:29Hello, mate.
16:30Are you all right?
16:30How are you?
16:31How are you?
16:32Not too bad, thanks.
16:32Excellent.
16:33All ready for Christmas?
16:35We are now.
16:37Yeah, good, excellent.
16:38Make a plan, make a list.
16:40So simple to get your shopping done in next to no time.
16:43Planning is the way forward.
16:44There we go.
16:46Good job, man.
16:46Let's go.
16:47One trolley, one shop, Christmas done.
16:50Brainy Julie is not going to believe that we've done Christmas in one day.
16:54No.
16:58Hello, everyone.
17:00How are you doing?
17:01Chopping is all done.
17:02Listen, when you're gallivanting, we've cleaned out the cupboards.
17:06No, don't.
17:06We're not going to put anything away just yet.
17:08We are going to go from shopping bag to freezer bag.
17:13No need to put the food in the cupboards.
17:15We are going to prep our delicious Christmas roast right now.
17:18So it's in the freezer ready for the big day.
17:21And this can be done months in advance.
17:24So it's stress free for all of us.
17:26This is the first step to making sure we'll spend just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas
17:31Day.
17:32So you guys are going to start with some streaky bacon and make a lovely lattice that goes
17:36over the top of our turkey.
17:38Okey-dokey.
17:38Let's go, mate.
17:39Let's do this.
17:41Frozen turkeys are a budget-friendly option.
17:44And this lattice turns it into a real centrepiece.
17:47I'm going to try and plait this.
17:49Don't worry about the turkey in a Christmas dinner.
17:51I'll be talking about the lattice.
17:53It doesn't just look pretty.
17:56The bacon adds moisture and flavour while it's cooking.
17:59It's a little bit like that.
18:00What's that thing?
18:01Ghost.
18:03We'll do the lattice together.
18:07Another trick I like for preventing a dry and bland turkey is flavoured butter.
18:12Mash it together.
18:14This is going to add so much flavour to your turkey.
18:17I love using sage, but any dried herb works.
18:20Or even chilli if you like your Christmas a bit spicy.
18:24We're going to make a little parchment Christmas cracker.
18:27Twist each end, keeping all the butter in.
18:30That's it.
18:31And we are going to freeze that.
18:33You can use this butter all year round on things like steak, fish or steamed veg.
18:37Just chop a bit off and then add it to whatever you're cooking.
18:41Yeah, yeah.
18:42I can't have a roast turkey without stuffing and it freezes brilliantly.
18:47You'll be able to use it for Sunday lunches when you come to it as well.
18:51We're starting with a standard packet mix, but elevating it by adding sausage meat.
18:56If you can't get hold of sausage meat, you can just use normal sausages and just take the skin off.
19:00Yeah.
19:01Then we're adding cheddar cheese in a Christmas twist with some orange juice.
19:05It's making it a bit more festive.
19:07Yeah.
19:08Yeah.
19:09We're rolling the mix into balls and then placing in the freezer on a baking tray for a couple of hours.
19:15This method is called flash freezing.
19:17Generally takes about an hour and just makes sure that they are solid enough to be bagged up later.
19:23Look at this. We are very proud of ourselves, by the way.
19:26I'm impressed.
19:27I had a brainwave, right? So if we're going to freeze this stuff, could we roll it like this?
19:32That would save you some space in the freezer.
19:34After my job, Joe?
19:35Well, no, I'm just...
19:36You can have that one free for your next book.
19:38There you go.
19:39Well done.
19:39Grab your veg, you're off.
19:41See you later, ladies.
19:42Bye-bye.
19:42Good luck with the gravy.
19:44Right, gravy.
19:44Have you ever made it?
19:46No.
19:47Many of us end up with basic gravy because it's too much hassle to make on Christmas Day.
19:53But making it in advance takes all the stress away.
19:56I've had some chicken wings and veg roasting away for about 40 minutes and now Amy is smooshing
20:02that down with some flour over a low heat.
20:04Then add stock and time for flavour, the white wine is optional.
20:09Bring this to the boil for five minutes and all that lovely flavour is going to end up in the stock.
20:15It smells delicious.
20:16It's fancy smelling a little bit like Christmas now, innit?
20:18It is.
20:20Dwayne and I are prepping all the veg now so it won't take up loads of precious time on the big day.
20:25We're going to make them enjoy the day as well.
20:27That'll be you then, every Christmas for the next 30 years.
20:30I'll be peeling carrots and parsnips, yeah.
20:34The final step to the gravy is to strain it at Hey Presto.
20:38Once it's cool, we can get it in the freezer bag.
20:41A faff that you don't want to be doing on Christmas Day.
20:43Definitely don't want to be doing that on Christmas Day.
20:46And you don't want to be doing these little fellas either.
20:50The trick is to make the sprout not look like the sprout.
20:54So shredding them like this, that's a lot less intimidating for people.
20:58It is than that on your plate.
21:01Amy and I are moving on to the roast potatoes.
21:04You really can prep every bit of your Christmas dinner in advance.
21:07And these can even be cooked straight from frozen.
21:10Have you ever made them before?
21:12I've done shop bought roast potatoes before.
21:15Yeah.
21:16Now this is controversial.
21:18I don't peel my roast potatoes because that's why it takes an hour and a half.
21:22The skin is good for you.
21:23It still crisps up really well.
21:25Just give them a quick scrub and pop them in a pan of cold water
21:28before boiling for seven minutes.
21:30I would have naturally just put them in boiled water.
21:34If you put them in hot water, they're going to actually start to cook on the outside
21:37and not cook on the inside.
21:39You want to drain them?
21:40Yep.
21:40Everyone has their own technique for a crispy roastie.
21:44I like to put mine back on the heat for a bit after draining to dry them out.
21:48You just want to get it before it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
21:53Then add a sprinkling of corn flour and drizzle generously with olive oil.
21:57I'm just adding salt, but to jazz them up you could add garlic, herbs or parmesan at this stage.
22:04How easy was that?
22:05What did you think?
22:06Really easy, yeah.
22:07I'm excited to have proper roast potatoes for Christmas dinner.
22:12You're just cooking straight from frozen, so they're that simple.
22:15Parsnets and carrots are just as easy, but start them in boiling water.
22:20Seven minutes and then drain and season.
22:22You could add a few crushed garlic cloves or, like me, add sage.
22:27Once cooled, all the veg is flash frozen.
22:31How are you feeling?
22:32More confident.
22:33The more and more recipes we get through, the more and more confident I'm feeling.
22:36Excellent.
22:38That's what I like to hear.
22:39On to the final veg preparation, the beloved sprout.
22:43It's so easy, especially when you have a Joe who's already shredded them for you.
22:48They're just cooked in oil with some onions.
22:50I always use frozen, of course.
22:53And then once softened, we add cranberries, pecans and a pinch of nutmeg.
22:58This is my take, but sprouts work with all sorts of flavours.
23:02Chestnuts, bacon, maple syrup, even anchovies.
23:06Another recipe ticked off.
23:08Yeah, you have literally prepped all your Christmas dinner.
23:12That's amazing.
23:14We'll get everything bagged up and into the freezer.
23:17And then later on, I'll show Amy how to get it all cooked in just 30 minutes.
23:22Batching is such an easy way to do a Christmas feast.
23:25If a novice like Amy can do it and do it that quickly and successfully, anybody can do it.
23:30So come Christmas day, 30 minutes in the kitchen.
23:34That's all you need to go from this to a Christmas feast.
23:38Amazing.
23:39The rest of your Christmas day is for you.
23:41Excellent.
23:42Well done.
23:44The confidence is definitely growing, so what started off as a really overwhelming task
23:51is less overwhelming and the stress levels reducing, so that's looking good.
23:58It's not just Christmas dinner you can prepare in advance.
24:01We're back in the test kitchen with some speedy snack recipes.
24:06Cheesy twists, pesto parmiers and Christmassy sausage rolls.
24:11At Christmas time, in terms of having people over, what's it like in your house?
24:15We generally just have like an open door policy, so we need a constant flow of food.
24:21These picky bits can be made months in advance and cooked straight from frozen,
24:25so you can focus on hosting rather than cooking in the busy lead up to Christmas.
24:30This ready-made puff pastry is all you really need.
24:33Joe is making the cheese twists.
24:35Cover half the pastry sheet with yeast extract.
24:38This is my Stacey's favourite thing to have on toast.
24:42And then sprinkle with a handful of cheese.
24:45Then you just fold over and cut into strips and twist to make them look fancy.
24:51I hate to say it, but I'm sure people are going to think it.
24:54I feel like my twister is better than your twister.
24:57Oh, really?
24:59Well, let's see how I get on with these parmiers.
25:02Cover the whole pastry sheet with tomato puree, pesto and a sprinkling of parmesan.
25:07You keep banging on about me being untidy, but yours looks like someone's dragged it in from the night out.
25:13You wait till you see the end result.
25:15Oh, you're all right.
25:15He's got it in for me today.
25:17To make the classic parmiere shape, take the long edge and roll the pastry into the middle from both sides,
25:24then cut into individual portions.
25:26It's like a pastry butterfly.
25:29Now on to the sausage rolls.
25:31Oh, I love a sausage roll.
25:33Well, we're going to make a Christmassy version.
25:35To make the filling, add chopped bacon to turkey mince.
25:38Get in there and give it a good mix around.
25:41Then I've cut my pastry in half lengthways and I'm adding some cranberry sauce.
25:45Here you go.
25:47And add the filling.
25:49Fold it over and then we can crimp that edge.
25:53The word is here, gentle.
25:55My middle name, that is.
25:56Yeah.
25:56I was listening to you, but it's just gone a little bit.
26:00Not so cocky now, Jo, are you?
26:02Then we just need to cut up the sausage rolls.
26:05Remember, this is just a little nibble.
26:07We're not feeding somebody a lunch.
26:08We don't want them there all day, do we?
26:10No, no.
26:11And there we have our three pastry snacks.
26:14Egg wash and then flash freeze on trays for an hour before bagging them up.
26:20You can just grab out however many you want, cook them directly from frozen for whenever people arrive.
26:25Into the oven at 180.
26:2725 minutes for the sausage rolls, 20 for the cheese twists and just 12 for the parmiers.
26:33I love these.
26:35Goodbye, you're 12 of them.
26:37So simple and such good value.
26:39And I can feel nice and smug serving up homemade snacks to people popping over at Christmas.
26:44This year, Amy and Dwayne are taking on Christmas for the very first time.
26:55It's so overwhelming.
26:57I can help, can't I?
26:59If you're letting me.
27:00Yeah, I thought you would help.
27:02Granny Julie spent 10 hours in the kitchen last Christmas, but I'm showing Amy my hacks to deliver a delicious feast in just 30 minutes.
27:10But I know only too well that stress isn't limited to just Christmas Day, where you have a big family that like to socialise.
27:18Dwayne, what do you usually do for Christmas Eve?
27:20Amy's working, so usually she'll get back a bit later and then we have all the family around.
27:26Everybody brings a different pie and we all just tuck in.
27:28So how about this year you are the host with the most and you're going to supply it all for them?
27:35Yes, why not? Let's give it a go.
27:37This fancy take on a family favourite will be perfect for the Waddingtons' Christmas Eve.
27:42This lobster mac and cheese can be made weeks in advance and then frozen to be used later.
27:48These are lobster tails, so they just come like this.
27:51Buying lobster tails is a really good budget way of having lobster.
27:55We've defrosted these and are cooking them in the butter they come with.
27:59They're so easy to do, you're not having to figure out what to do with the whole lobster.
28:04Mac and cheese is so versatile, we're going to knock up a chorizo version too.
28:08It always makes sense to cook extra and keep that freezer stocked.
28:12Smells good when you've got fresh food cooking in the kitchen.
28:15You only probably smell that when you go to your mother-in-law along the road, don't you?
28:18Yes, you do indeed, yes.
28:20Next, we part-cook the macaroni, just three minutes.
28:24Remember, we're making it in advance for the freezer.
28:26When you bring it out of the freezer, we're going to put it back in the oven.
28:29So we don't want to overcook your pasta. We're going to get on and make the cheese sauce now.
28:34We need to make a roux. I'm assuming you haven't made a roux before.
28:37No.
28:38OK, it sounds very fancy, it's super easy.
28:41Just mix flour and butter in a pan, that's the roux.
28:45You look so scared.
28:47The food is going to bite me.
28:50It's going to get really thick, but don't worry about that,
28:53because we're going to start adding our milk.
28:55It starts off a bit lumpy, but don't panic, just keep stirring.
28:59This is a white sauce, which can be used in lasagna or chicken pie.
29:03If you're making one portion, you may as well make more.
29:06Freeze that into bags, you know, so that you've just got them mid-week ready to grab out.
29:11Mid-sauce! Dwayne!
29:14Now we just add the cheese.
29:17At Christmas, this is a great way to cut food waste.
29:19If I've had a big cheese board and I've got lots left over,
29:23you can make a big cheese sauce with anything.
29:25Next, add some paprika and cherry tomatoes along with the macaroni.
29:30And you give it a stir around.
29:31For two tasty meals, mix the lobster meat into one and the chorizo into the other.
29:37This is the great thing about something like mac and cheese.
29:40You can add all different flavours to it.
29:42You know, ham, a leftover ham at New Year.
29:45The final touch is Parmesan shavings and some breadcrumbs for a good crunch.
29:50We have now made...
29:52Mac and cheese.
29:53This has taken less than 20 minutes.
29:56Now into the oven, 180 for 40 minutes until golden brown.
30:00And Dwayne even has a spare for a mid-week meal.
30:05Oh, here we go. Shall we get Amy in?
30:07Hello, hello.
30:08This smells gorgeous.
30:13This is absolutely amazing.
30:16It is.
30:16Now you know how to do it, you are going to be doing this on a regular basis.
30:22I was blown away by it.
30:24He is definitely the mac and cheese man now.
30:27Having this is just amazing and knowing that you are taking control of Christmas Eve is even better.
30:34I've never really cooked from scratch before, so it was great fun.
30:38And it's great now to know that I can now contribute towards Christmas.
30:42It was lovely working with Dwayne in the kitchen.
30:43I can already see that I'm getting him away from those chicken nuggets and frozen ready meals.
30:48He'll be batching his own meals in no time.
30:51The last piece to the Christmas puzzle is dessert.
30:54And we're off to Granny Julie's.
30:56So, Julie, what is the protocol when it comes to dessert at Christmas?
31:00Well, we have Christmas puddings in the cupboard, but they never come out.
31:05Right.
31:05And we make trifle, but often we don't even touch it.
31:10There's a lesson here.
31:11Don't stick to traditional Christmas desserts if no one likes them.
31:15Wow, Granny Julie, it's 2013.
31:18That is older than your grandkids.
31:21Tiramisu is a great alternative to a Christmas pud.
31:25It can be made well in advance and involves next to no prep on the day.
31:29My turn to cook, so I'm enlisting the kids as my helpers.
31:33It's a big responsibility doing the dessert for Christmas, isn't it?
31:37Yeah.
31:37We're going to get this right.
31:38Shall we get cracking?
31:39Yeah.
31:40Literally.
31:41First, separate the eggs.
31:45That's it.
31:46That's it.
31:46Keep the yolk in there.
31:47Perfect.
31:49Chuck the yolk into this side.
31:51Good job.
31:52Perfect.
31:53Nice skill.
31:54Then whisk the whites until they're fluffy.
31:57Hold on to the ball.
31:58Hold on to the ball.
31:59Good tip.
32:00Forgot to tell them.
32:01Go!
32:04He's going to go faster.
32:06Yeah!
32:08And everyone knows how to test when they're done, right?
32:11One, two.
32:13I hope this goes well.
32:15Three, go!
32:17Give it a little tap.
32:18That's brilliant.
32:19Liv, give yours a tap.
32:20Come on.
32:22Brilliant job.
32:23Onto the bowl with the egg yolks.
32:25Another opportunity to make a mess.
32:28We add sugar and mascarpone and mix.
32:31I don't know if to run for cover here or not.
32:34Go!
32:34I think you're done.
32:39You're the winner.
32:44Then gently fold in the egg whites.
32:46Like you're putting it to bed.
32:48That's it.
32:49Because you want to try and keep as many of the bubbles in there as possible.
32:53So now what we're going to do is we're going to make two different versions.
32:56Jackson, you're going to do the adult one and you'll do the kids one, all right?
32:59So we're going to layer this up like a lasagna.
33:03Both versions start with a base of sliced cake.
33:06Shop bought is inexpensive and saves time.
33:09Chocolate marble for Maggie, soaked in cold hot chocolate.
33:12And the adult one uses hazelnut cake, soaked in coffee and Irish cream liqueur.
33:17We'll let your nan decide how much of this we should use.
33:20How good do you want your Christmas to be?
33:23OK, Joe.
33:24Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, sorry.
33:27I didn't hear you.
33:29The next layer is the mascarpone and egg mix.
33:32That's it.
33:33Great bit of spreading, nice and even.
33:35You could be a bricklayer without the sort of spreading.
33:38Now I'm in the Christmas spirit.
33:40Why does everyone love Frosty the Snowman?
33:43Don't know.
33:44Because he's such a cool guy.
33:45Do you like that? Yeah?
33:46Yeah.
33:46No.
33:47Hold up, I've got another one.
33:48What do you call Santa when he stops moving?
33:50What?
33:50I don't know.
33:51Santa paws.
33:53Do you get it?
33:55No.
33:55Enough of that.
33:56On with the tiramisu.
33:58Keep building the layers of cake and cream to the top of the dish.
34:01It's pure finesse with Joe.
34:03Pure finesse.
34:04Look at that.
34:05A final sprinkling of nuts or chocolate and job's done.
34:09Look at these.
34:10Look what you've made, guys.
34:11Look.
34:12I think it's going to go down an absolute treat.
34:14Is this something you might want to do again?
34:16Yeah.
34:17These can now go straight into the freezer and just need to be defrosted on Christmas Eve,
34:21ready for the big day.
34:23How exciting is that going to be for you two on Christmas Day, knowing that after dinner,
34:28it's your dessert?
34:29And here's some I made earlier.
34:31Maybe not quite so boozy, Joe.
34:34Look at this.
34:35Oh, look at this.
34:36That's a good spoon.
34:37Mmm.
34:39Oh, that's delicious.
34:40Yeah.
34:40Oh, it's scrumptious.
34:42Well done to the pair of you.
34:44It was very nice seeing Granny relaxing,
34:46because she's usually always up helping us.
34:48And it'd be nice to take the pressure off Mum on Christmas Day,
34:51because she's already got a lot of cooking to do.
34:53Do you think Nanny Julie's going to stay out of the kitchen?
34:55She's probably going to say,
34:56Oh, you're doing this wrong.
34:57Oh, you're doing that.
35:00Me and Jackson, we've both got like our parts now,
35:02so we can just make the tiramisu every year.
35:06I've got loads of kids myself.
35:08They love getting involved with the cooking.
35:09You keep encouraging them.
35:11Next year, you know, they could do the roast potatoes.
35:14They could do the stuffing.
35:15They could do the bacon lattice.
35:17There you go.
35:18In Lancashire, Suzanne and I are preparing the Waddington family for Christmas.
35:30And it's time for me to put my theory to the test.
35:33Can Amy serve an epic Christmas dinner
35:36while spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen?
35:39What we need, Suzanne, is a real test run.
35:42Christmas jumpers and all.
35:43Whose go is it?
35:44Phil.
35:45Phil.
35:46One more.
35:48Frozen!
35:52While the family enjoy the festivities,
35:55it's time for Amy and I to get started on our super speedy Christmas dinner cook.
36:00I'm hoping that I can do it within 30 minutes.
36:03We are going to do it.
36:04I've got your help.
36:06Our 30 minutes in the kitchen will be split into small chunks.
36:10We're starting three and a half hours before we want to serve.
36:13This will allow enough time for the turkey to cook and rest and plenty of time for us to relax too.
36:19Put the butter that we've made under the skin.
36:21Swidge it down like it's a bit of the kids' play dough. That's it.
36:25All the food has been defrosted in advance, apart from the roasted potatoes and veg,
36:29which we'll cook from frozen.
36:31That's perfect.
36:32We add Joe and Dwayne's bacon lattice to the top of the turkey crown.
36:36This is all adding moisture and flavour. No dry, tasteless turkey here.
36:41And our first job of the day is done. Stop the timer.
36:46While the turkey cooks, Amy has two hours to enjoy time with her family.
36:50Oh, look, just inside. Smells delicious.
36:54It's looking fab. And while we wait, we're back in the test kitchen with some great ways
37:00to make use of Christmas leftovers. Do you like a pie?
37:04I love a pie. I just think they're so versatile.
37:07You're easily pleased. I love it.
37:09270,000 tonnes of food are thrown away at Christmas. My turkey and anything goes pie
37:16will feed the family and help reduce seasonal food waste.
37:20We start with a white sauce, flour, butter and milk.
37:24Add some creme fraiche and then some frozen peas and allow the sauce to cool.
37:29We want to make the pie cold so that we're able to heat it up whenever we want it.
37:33Gotcha. Then in goes all our leftovers straight from the fridge.
37:38Turkey, ham, carrots and parsnips, but this could be anything you want.
37:43What veg do your kids like?
37:45Stacey does a lot of growing in the garden. We have loads of veg on our plate at Christmas.
37:49Then add the sauce to the dish. Looks lovely, that, doesn't it?
37:53And lay the pre-made pastry on top. Don't even have to find a rolling pin.
37:59Brush it all with egg wash. Have you done painting and decorating?
38:03No, I'm banned from doing that in the house because I'm too messy, apparently.
38:06Oh, yeah. And there's our finished pie.
38:10At this stage now, we could put this in the freezer if we wanted to,
38:13or we can put it directly in the oven. That's why we've done it.
38:16It's a batch-cooked programme. That's what I do.
38:18Well, now it makes sense. Come on, Jo.
38:22While the pie cooks, I've got a slightly out-there idea for another way to use up those Christmas leftovers.
38:28We are going to make a Christmas dinner ice cream.
38:35No, no, hear me out. Hold up a minute.
38:37It's got that sweet and saltiness about it. It's like salted caramel. Bear with me.
38:42I think you've lost it to Suzanne, but this might be a fun thing to do with the kids.
38:47If you can't have a laugh at Christmas, Jo, when can you? The process is simple.
38:52Softened vanilla ice cream in a bowl. This is some leftover gravy.
38:58Then I add some cranberry sauce like a raspberry ripple.
39:02I'm still trying to figure out whether this is a big wind-up.
39:05It's not. You're going to love it.
39:07Then some more gravy, stuffing sprinkles and a pig in a blanket.
39:12And then I've just got a little bit of turkey skin as our wafer.
39:16Oh, great. Swashy's Christmas Sunday.
39:20Don't attach my name to this, mate.
39:22You going to try it? It's got gravy in it.
39:26Just try it.
39:27It tastes better than I thought it was going to taste.
39:32It's like salted caramel.
39:34Suzanne loves it, but for me, the jewellery's still out.
39:37I'll leave it for you lot to decide.
39:40Amy and I are back in the kitchen to tend to our turkey.
39:44Right, timer is on. We're going to get the turkey out.
39:48This next bell in the kitchen should be about an hour and a half
39:50before you want dinner on the table.
39:53We haven't had to worry about basting this turkey
39:55because we've already got the bacon on the top of it.
39:59Smells fantastic. Look at that.
40:01It looks amazing. You've done that.
40:04Resting the meat will make it juicier when it comes to carving later.
40:07And also frees up space in the oven for the roast potatoes. Win-win.
40:12Cooking these from frozen.
40:13They're literally coming out the bags and onto the trays, OK?
40:17This is so simple.
40:18I'm starting to wish I'd have done this sooner.
40:22All the hard work has been done already and now we're reaping the rewards.
40:26These and the parsnips and carrots need 40 minutes at 200.
40:30They're just going to crisp up lovely.
40:33Amy has so much spare time to enjoy with the family.
40:37Right, OK, are we ready?
40:38So, TV? I mean, film?
40:42No.
40:42No talking, Jo.
40:43That was it.
40:44Two words.
40:45Two words.
40:46Second word.
40:47Second word.
40:51Ghost!
40:51Ghost!
40:52Pottery.
40:53Pottery throw down.
40:55Pottery throw down.
40:56Harry Potter.
40:57Yes!
40:59Hang on!
41:04With just 40 minutes until dinner, we're back in the kitchen to check the veg.
41:09Joey, such a chase.
41:11Cheeks every time.
41:12Excuse me?
41:13Right, we're going to start the timer.
41:15We're going to get the rest of the sides out.
41:18The potatoes and roasted veg are coming out of the oven,
41:21but we'll go back in five minutes before serving to get the perfect crisp.
41:25Look at those.
41:27Do they look as good as your normal freezer-bought ones?
41:31Even better.
41:32They look amazing.
41:35Our homemade stuffing, along with some shop-bought pigs and blankets,
41:38can go in now.
41:40They need around 30 minutes.
41:41We have done so well.
41:43We've got a bit of time, so let's just do the clearing up,
41:46so we don't even have to do that later.
41:48A great way to keep on top of the kitchen.
41:51Then it's back to the family.
41:53Hooray!
41:57The perfect preparation for your first relaxing Christmas.
42:01Bottoms up.
42:03Cheers!
42:04Merry Christmas!
42:06Merry Christmas!
42:07At this stage, we could serve up the pastry snacks we made earlier
42:11to tide over our guests.
42:13Right.
42:14OK, we're going to start our timer again.
42:16This is our final stretch in the kitchen, 16 minutes to get everything ready and on the table.
42:23Let's get our gravy and our sprouts on now.
42:28And with those on the hob, we can get ready to serve.
42:31This dinner set I have been collecting for years.
42:35Your matching stuff is gorgeous.
42:37But if you don't have things like this, maybe you don't have a gravy bowl.
42:41I've got a friend who just uses a teapot as a gravy bowl.
42:44That's such a good idea.
42:46Yeah.
42:47Amy, we have cooked everything.
42:49And we've still got eight minutes to get it all plated up and on the table.
42:54Amazing.
42:55I literally couldn't believe that I was ever, ever going to do Christmas Day,
43:00especially in under 30 minutes.
43:02Let's give everybody a feast tonight, shall we?
43:04I hope they're all hungry.
43:05Yeah.
43:07So in records time, the Waddington Christmas dinner is ready to be served with a new head chef at the helm.
43:14Come on, you lot.
43:15Look at this.
43:16Wow.
43:17It may be a practice run, but for this feast, we've pulled out all the stops.
43:23That looks amazing.
43:24That looks really good.
43:25I love the way you've done the bacon on the top.
43:28Oh!
43:29Oh, girl!
43:31Thank you, Grandma!
43:32Come on, Granny.
43:34Shall we do our crackers?
43:35Crackers?
43:36Three, two, one!
43:37Whee!
43:41Right, I reckon we should tuck into this dinner.
43:43Kids, are you having a bit of everything?
43:44No.
43:45Yes, please.
43:47So far, so good, but the proof is in the eating.
43:51The stuff is really good.
43:53This food is absolutely amazing.
43:57Does this taste like a 30-minute Christmas dinner?
43:59It's exceeded my standards.
44:01It's absolutely beautiful.
44:03Never in a million years did I think I could pull something like this off.
44:08It's amazing, immensely proud.
44:10She's done absolutely fantastic, yeah.
44:12Job done.
44:13Job done.
44:14Over the Christmas period, the family were spending almost £500 on food, and Julie was
44:20prepping in the kitchen for almost a whole day.
44:22Wow, that is a big task.
44:25So, have we managed to make the Christmas merrier?
44:28You ready, everybody?
44:29Yes.
44:30Here we go.
44:32Wow!
44:34We've compared the same three-day period as before, and my festive recipes and batch cooking
44:39has more than half the cost of Christmas food, saving over £270.
44:43It's an incredible saving.
44:46I think that goes in the holiday fund.
44:48Absolutely, I think so.
44:49Yeah.
44:51And as for time, they've saved 12 whole hours, nine of which are on Christmas Day itself.
44:57I'm blown away that's half a day of Christmas I can get back.
45:01And I've got to ask you, how are your stress levels?
45:04Definitely in the green, no doubt in the green.
45:07So, what we really want to know is, are you feeling more confident about putting on the water
45:12and Christmas dinner this year?
45:13A hundred percent. I can't wait for Christmas now.
45:17Granny Julie is going to be having her feet up.
45:19I absolutely am, yeah.
45:20Here's to Granny Julie.
45:22Cheers, everybody.
45:23Cheers.
45:27I think this evening's been ace, hasn't it?
45:30It has, yeah. Even Granny was more than happy.
45:32Yeah, yeah.
45:34She's just been able to sit down and do nothing.
45:37A hundred percent well deserved.
45:38It seems to be going down great, doesn't it?
45:41Really, from now on, I think Amy's got this.
45:43I'm going to let them take it forward.
45:45I think that's the future of Christmases from now on.
45:49I definitely feel I'm ready to take the reins from my mum
45:52and take on Christmas for the next 30 years.
45:57We're leaving you in good hands,
45:59and I'm sure you'll have the most stress-free Christmas.
46:01Yeah.
46:02And Merry Christmas, everyone.
46:04Cheers.
46:05I think Santa brings you what you want.
46:09That's definitely something we can see us doing more.
46:11Absolutely. It's something that we really need to introduce
46:14into just day-to-day life, not just Christmas.
46:18There we have it, Suzanne.
46:19Batch cooking is for life, not just for Christmas.
46:22With me at night to day-to-day life, not just for Christmas.
46:23It's something that the Christmas Christmas,
46:24was nephew's got it all.
46:29The forecast is nothing to do
46:33that, as if you get to bed.
46:34However, drag it out before you go in.
46:40material is not just for Christmas.
46:42When you do everything you see in the event.
46:42This would be something I'd like to do now on the day off,
46:42but you want accumulate in the predicted video.
46:45If you'd like to you when you and not just for Christmas,
46:46you shouldn't like to sell the Lord one after coming.
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